Wednesday, 28 November 2007

It's official. I am incontinent!!! Well, only when I sneeze. Good stuff, eh?..the joys of having flu and growing old!!

Junior, bless her, is managing to control her bladder but the sneeze control is not quite there, if you get my meaning?....ie; just get out of the line of fire:O) bless. Still, we feel better than we did a few days ago and may actually venture out soon. I don't sound like Johnny Vegas anymore when I speak. Damn!!:O)) We have managed to give this lurgy to other people, so we're staying in until it's gone.

Still have to paint and laminate mother's flat before the great move next week. So, no pressure, then? In the meantime, we've been quite, err, inventive on the food/meal front, seeing as orbiting head can't think straight when it waddles up to the only one for miles and thus overpriced "local" shop (ie; tissues £1.99 a box!!, "fresh" fruit and veg at Harrod's prices, lol). Next year I'm going to make sure that we have some fruit and veg stored from the allotment. Where we'll store it is another matter, though! lol

When she's been feeling well enough, Junior has been quite industrious in the jewellery making department (think Crimble pressies), done lots of reading, maths..the usual. She's also designing cards, again. We've sorted out a redundant bedroom, which is now going to be a storage/craft zone. Do I believe that it will stay this way...like the lovely, tidy ones seen on other blogs? Nah.. give it a fortnight and it'll end up as cluttered as before. Found one of the older cats in it this morning, atop some of my material stash....she seems to have bagged a nice, comfy corner (by the radiator) as her own. Clever mog:O) Talking of mogs...one of the young mogs has come into season. She's being VERY friendly and talkative. What joy..... and so picture the scene in this house..with ever hopeful young male mog who has the "woo hoo" look!!

On a more serious note, wonder what the ptb'll have to say when they publish the findings of the home ed consulation on Thursday? Fingers crossed that they see sense and leave us to get on with it:O) Also, ContactPoint is being postponed for a while 'cos of the recent security cockups concerning the child benefit discs fiasco. They should see sense and scrap it anyway. Use the money for something useful/practical for a change and get away from this dreadful monitoring and surveillance culture. Tell yer, politics and jobsworth red tape drive me mad!!! Going for another mint and honey tea:O)) xx

Yes, I'm the third born. I did this again with my other siblings in mind.....being them..trying to answer on their behalf..as I hope I know them....or so I thought. Amazing how much I don't. I answered questions with my sis in mind and ended up with my younger brother's "results. I did it with big bro in mind..and he came out as an only child.....which sort of makes sense. Couldn't get my sis, though..as much as I tried. Sad, me thinks:O(

Might try it with my older kids in mind. That should be interesting. Wonder if I can get it right? Half an hour later...... Nah. Got them back to front!!! Son no 2 came out as first born...Son no 1 was fourth. Disaster.. Wonder if i can get it right for Junior? Ten mins later.... Yep. Got her spot on!!

Maybe it's a men and women are from different planets thing?...Nah..... Lol.. or the schooled v home edded? Anyway, they know I think the world of them all. Wonder how they'd do if they did a Mum one? Hmmmm....

Well, off to take my orbiting head and body back to my sickbed. Blasted flu!!!

Sunday, 25 November 2007

Junior is feeling pretty yuk, sore throat, irritable, chesty cough, achey and has a magnificent snotty hooter. Bless. I'm not far behind her in the feeling ill department. We are going through tissues, lip and nose moisturisers at a rate of snots!! Lol... crap joke..sorry:O) Trying to keep warm, but you're up against it when you live in hill billy land. It's so cold up here that I'm even contemplating wearing a balaclava to help warm up my frozen head!! Even shy cat is coming into the house.,,and quite early, too.

When we feel better, we're going to make some new felt Crimble decorations for Junior's new pink 3ft Crimble tree, gifted to her by Son no 1's other half. She's become a little fixated on us have a "proper" big tree with all the decorative finishes. Mother here, on the other hand, is not too keen.....Junior is imagining picture book lovely Crimble tree with lots of shiny baubles, lots of twinkly lights and fairy on top.... and I am imagining picture book Crimble tree with young cats swinging off every twinkle bauble laden branch...and then having to clear up the mess!!

Anyway, in between sneezes, Junior has been busying herself with a bit of story writing. We've measured out Mother's flat for laminate and J's been doing a bit of maths working out the area, figuring out what of and where her Grans's stuff will go... And, she and son no 2's girlfriend made a chocolate, minstrel covered cake together. Junior had to show no 2's girlfriend what to do!! I left them both to it, with a cookery book or two. I figured if girl friend no 2 is going to have a baby then she needs to learn how to cook and bake as you can't live on takeaways forever!!

Meanwhile, in another corner of the country...and some may think I'M animal mad...well, this sweet little thing is my 30 something niece's Crimble pressie from her hubby. Miniature pot bellied pig...she easily fits into a cat carrier and is currently awaiting being named. Little piggy is going to be a house piglet and will have company in the form of two dogs, two rabbits, two ferrets and an African land snail:O) I've been asked to think of a name and I can only currently think of Persephone. They'll no doubt give her an appropriately cool name:O)

We've done loads of HE stuff, but my orbiting, mucous-filled head isn't playing ball and so I'll blog about that later on!! Going for a lie-down.

Young cats, of course, want to play....ALL THE TIME!!!! And, they're not too hot on tidying up after themselves!! grrrr.

Tuesday, 20 November 2007

No blogging been done due to unforseen circumstances!!!! Been a busy few days, particularly family-wise. Some stuff being of the serious, drive you round the twist type and unbloggable, but some not.

One being...Mother..who was supposed to be moving in with us, imminently... and now isn't. She's got a flat nearby, which is good, 'cos she'll have her space (and her furniture!) and we'll have ours. We'll be able to see one another on a daily basis. Junior is very happy that Gran is coming to live nearby. They love each other so much and get up to allsorts together...which is nice. My own gran died when I was very young and so I'm glad that Junior is able to enjoy this relationship. Uki lessons are in the offing....and tales of her childhood..and WW2..so Junior will have unique history lessons:O) In turn, Gran gets to learn the latest dance moves and fashion:O) Plus, Gran's bed is nice and comfy for those little snoozes:O)

So, she wants everything to be painted white. And the floor laminated...no pesky dust catching carpets for Siberian mama!! Seeing as I'm doing it all, I'll soon be an albino-like hunchback! I mean, how hard can it be to laminate a floor?

Talking of grans.....going to be one myself! How about that? Yes, I know...I'm WAY too young:O) Grey hairs?.....I've already been at the Nice n Easy!!!

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Have a look at this youtube clip. Will make you titter. Happens to me every morning and I can think of a few people that this will appeal to...can just hear them saying "My God, it's so real life!!" lol

It's in the side bar because, being elderly and unable to come to terms with this computer mullarcky, little old Min can't get it into the main post. Have tried, can't be arsed to venture further into the land of clicks. Blame it on the iMac!!! lol Anyway, it replaces the good old Frankenstein widget from Halloween:O))

All suggestions welcomed, by the way:O)))...on how to get it in the main post. Ta:O)))

Monday, 12 November 2007

I used strong, white bread flour (Sue Lawrence recipe) and the bread has turned out a greyish colour inside. The crust is, err, VERY CRUSTY!! Enough to knock someone out if they were unfortunate enough to be whacked over the head with it. Other uses? Door stop comes to mind.

It was ok yesterday...straight out of the oven...dunked in soup. Today I find that it has morphed into plaster of paris.

Off to google on how to get a softer loaf. It will probably say "Don't bother, Min. Save yer teeth and just go and buy one!!"

Have to get a door lock for Houdini the cat, too. Pesky little thing!! And caught Popeye grooming himself today and he is, ahem, a big lad!! Vet appointment coming up!!

Sunday, 11 November 2007

When Junior was younger she had a little bowling kit bought for her. The sort you get from ELC and the like. She, of course, took little interest in this pricey gift and it ended up being charity shopped. She's one of those kids who hates being told what to do. She can entertain herself, thank you very much!! She often toddles off and does her art and invents things. So, this morning she's been busy and made herself an indoor bowling set...from little plastic pop bottles. She redesigned and jazzed up the outside of the fruit shoot bottles and is busy having a game as we speak. Young mogs are, of course, getting into the spirit of things and are joining in (they keep nicking the home made ball and annoying my little designer) :O) She wants more pins so is busy drinking through our supply of fruit shoots that we bought yesterday!! (a BOGOF offer). We went for a long autumnal walk to a nearby village to get a few supplies in and enjoyed it muchly. It was quite crisp (this being hill billy land) so I think I'll have to knit us both one of those Biggles hats...the type that have flaps to cover yer ears. Some of the trendy peeps wear them but I'll no doubt look like a bag woman with mine on. Don't care really.... I've now got to the age where I don't give a bugger what I look like.....comfort is all!!!! It was nice to be able to kick leaves about:O)

We pass two little ponies on our way there and back on this walk. There are loads of horses and cattle in the fields around here but these two are special. When they see Junior they come racing across at speed to see if we have anything for them. I don't know what you can give ponies for a treat. Is it the odd sugar lump or a piece of carrot? I seem to remember that you have to be careful what you feed them as they can get colic. Junior'll google this and I can see another little project coming on. Little ponies are just stuck in this field...no coats on them and no shelter from what I can see. Oh, if I had the money and land I'd take 'em home!! Junior frets that they'll end up as pet food.

We talk about allsorts on our walks. Sit her at home and force learning then it would go in one ear and out t'other but on a walk she's more in control and seems more stimulated....... asks me loads of questions en route. Yesterday, we got talking about churches and history and how some churches look more appealing than others and the reasons she thinks why. I reckons that could be the start of another project, too.

We made chocolate brownies and bread today. The brownies are the best we've ever made yet. Totally delish and were made from fairtrade chocolate. The bread is on the second rise. We made a plaited loaf and Junior made some rolls. Just need to make the soup and job done. Hope the bread works 'cos I could really get into making it on a regular basis...the kneading is totally relaxing:O)

Son no 1 rang. He's been on a day trip to France with the in-laws. He doesn't really go to get anything remotely traditionally French....he goes for the aftershaves, etc which are cheaper there. He asked me what I wanted bringing back. Can't really think what you can get on such a trip that's traditionally French.. apart from cheese and wine. (I really wanted a pasta making machine, but I'll wait until he goes to Italy for that. LOL!!) So, I said a bottle of proper French wine. Apparently, he's got me ten!! Bless

Remembrance Sunday today. Much respect to those brave people who lost and risk their lives to help keep our freedoms. xx

Friday, 9 November 2007

Today we have been reorganising and tidying so that our resources are more accessible and organised. Have a ton of stuff that is no longer appropriate for Junior that needs to shipped onto another home. I've also got loads of shredding to do. I will be shredding for a long, long time!! Pity I don't have a pet rodent, 'cos I could keep it in bedding forever. But maybe that's not such a good idea with having felines around.

Popeye has been "christened" tonight.

The mogs were having their usual runaround downstairs tonight. (The pooches were safetly in their crate.) Young mogs have developed a fondness for the budgies..getting up close and personal....mesmerised! Anyway, I oiked Pops off the unit that Fred n Wilma budgies are on and he stomped to the other side of the room, gave me that "Awwwwww, but why can't I have them?" look and then it happened. The smell......of.... singed/scorched fur!! Have to say that that's what you get is you stand so close to a gas fire with yer tail up in the "toasting marshmallows" mode.

I did the "rugby tackle" and whipped him away before he became a kebab!! He's ok.

These young cats are a blummin liability now. They can open doors...so I have to go and buy locks tomorrow. And a cat flap (previous one ended up as a necklace on the dog). And now a fire guard!! Arghhh!! So much for a quiet life.

Junior is stressing out with all this....especially the door opening. We've watched them do it...and my God they are so CLEVER..especially Olive!! She's definitely still under house arrest until her jaw is unwired but she's the biggest culprit. She can jump so high that she MUST be related to Tigger!! Young mogs could, feasibly, escape outdoors through the hole in the door that once was a catflap and into the big, wide world..never to be seen again. And all while we're asleep...according to Junior. Thanks kid. Just crank up my insomnia a bit more.

Thursday, 8 November 2007

Junior has been busy making diaries for the kittens. These are tiny diaries..about four lines each page and approx six pages per "book". I think she's going to see how it goes before super-sizing. She's been busying herself with lots of writing and craftwork. Not too hot on the tidying up, though!

We've been holed up today as it's far too cold, rainy and windy to venture anywhere. Even the animals are staying in. Shall have to get creative and make them some coats and hats. lol mmm...must remember to look for patterns. Maybe this could be something for our business empire:O)

The younger mogs have taken to feeding themselves as they've got fed up of waiting for their nosh....they want feeding at 6am..and don't I know it!!! They can get the biccies out of the box. Knock box over, bash it about, get paw in and grab biccies. Job done. They've even figured out how to open doors.

Actually, at the moment I'm very envious of people who live in remotish places and can hole up for winter, away from the worries of red tape and the modern world. We've been reading some of these lovely blogs of people who do; preserve their home grown stuff..enough to see them through the cold months so they can get on with home edding, life, projects, etc without unwanted interruption. Bit windy up in Scotland today I hear. Hope everyone's managed to hang on to their roof tiles:O)

So, at some point this week we are going to attempt to make and bake our own bread. Imagine the cleanup on that!!

Tuesday, 6 November 2007

Been to see my Mother today. She's not well..again. Five hour+ return journey when one relies on public transport:O(

She was telling me stuff, as usual, about her tough war life and I've decided that I'm finally going to write a book about it. Not a book, but you know what I mean..I do:O) Yes..I'm going to attempt to document it!

She had me tittering today with her tales about Dad and how they passed the time when he was chronically ill and bed-bound... because the local authority-funded stair lift took six months to arrive and be installed!! Meaning, that he couldn't make the lung-exhausting trip downstairs very often...so he was a virtual prisoner and so Mother spent a lot of time upstairs to keep him company. Mother is a crafter like me and, to occupy him, she had Dad counting cross stitch squares out to her while she did the sewing. It saved her eyes and time and gave him something to do..or so she thought. After a while, she noticed that the pattern was not quite going to plan...and she saw that Dad was too engrossed in the horse racing on tv to give her "proper" instructions. She said "I was supposed to be sewing a dove but it was turning into a bloody albatross!!" Still, the sampler was eventually finished and hangs on her wall. She told me that Dad said never to let it go. It was "their" work..and it truly is. What makes it more interesting is that she didn't have the thread she needed. Couldn't get out to buy stuff as Dad hated being left alone incase he had trouble breathing. So, she had some old curtains and stripped the threads from the weave and used that for the cross stitching. Brilliant or what? She says that if she'd been able to get the proper threads then it would be magnificent but I told her I don't think it could be any better, given the story.

So..to home edding.....Junior had her Gran fix.....aka being spoiled and learned a bit more Uki.

We is knackered with all the travelling! Been feasting on ricotta and spinach pizza with salad and then chocolate croissants. Pets have been fussed, fed and watered. 8.30pm and Junior's sparko on the sofa!! Bless.

Time for me to think a way out of my latest dilemma. I rarely have a full night's sleep. Always something to worry about...and I definitely have something to worry about of late. Unbloggable.

Sunday, 4 November 2007

Today (4th Nov) would have been my friend's birthday.....someone I knew from my schooldays and who was a kind, funny, clever and outrageously handsome young man. He had cornflower blue eyes. He made me laugh, he made me cry. He was a straight talker and gave me the necessary "boot up the arse" to make me believe in myself at a critical point in my life.

He introduced me to... some great music..Lou Reed, Stephen Stills, Steve Miller, Peter Gabriel's Genesis and the ilk. He taught me how to play badminton very well..so much so that I usually beat him when we played..which he hated. lol He always beat me at chess though. It's his fault that I like Southern Comfort!! lol He was a tough softie, although I once played merry hell with him for blowing an entire month's wage on a tuner for his stereo system:O) He really coveted a Bang & Olafsen system but could never afford one..it was always out of reach, so he always went for the best he could afford. No credit...everything was cash on the nail.!

He made a big impact in my world with his wise words and left a big hole in my life when he died...He was only 24. He's now been dead longer than he had been alive and lies in rest near to where my Dad is buried. I clean his grave a bit when I go up and see Dad, mainly to give him an ear-bashing. The kids and I sometimes leave him tiny, little furry toys just to show that we care..... and that the cemetery rabbits and birds usually nick off with:O) He sometimes makes an appearance in my dreams when I'm in the middle of some huge dilemma. Typical him....

The night before his death I had this unexplainable urge to ring him..I'd not seen him for ages and ages but just knew there was something wrong. I couldn't get through because the telephone lines were down and he lived hundreds of miles away. I didn't drive in those days. He died in the early hours of the next morning. So, to this day I don't understand why he would end his own life when he had so much going for him. If only I'd been able to get through, then maybe I could have said somethine to stop it...maybe...I'll never know.

I remember at the funeral that I held it together until the burial. Burst into tears and walked off for privacy. His sister came after me and I told her, in the middle of my blubbling, that I was going to play holy hell with him when/if I got to heaven. She replied with..."well, if you get there first, give him a knuckle sandwich from me". She was another toughie but softie, too. His family loved him totally...and it never sank in to him:O(

I hope he's happy now and at peace, where ever he may be.....probably listening to music on his Bang & O system. He was determined to get one:O)

About Me

An ancient home-edding mum. Trying to be good to the world, owned hook line and sinker by far too many pets, doing my best to be vegan, into crafting/eco stuff, unorganised- I love my stuff too much to be minimalist, technophobe, now definitely needing specs much to my dismay, spiritual, kind, scatter-brained, going grey, extremely cantankerous at THAT time of the month, hate football, politics and bad manners. Wish I could paint and draw to a decent standard and get to grips with this computer malarkey!!